Former RAF plane seen flying over Hucknall today

A low flying aircraft was spotted in the skies above Hucknall by many residents this afternoon (Friday February 11).

The aircraft was a Boeing E-3D Sentry airborne early warning and control plane. It was seen and heard flying over Hucknall at just after 1:30pm.

The altitude of the aircraft was as low as 1200 feet over the town. To put that in perspective, commercial aircraft typically fly between 31,000 and 38,000 feet.

The plane is one of three recently sold by the UK Royal Air Force (RAF) to the Chilean Air Force.

Until 2021, the RAF had used them for surveillance and reconnaissance before retiring them and beginning negotiations to sell them on.

The aircraft are currently based at RAF Waddington and it would appear that this was a training exercise to teach the new owners of the aircraft exactly how they operate.

A total of 68 of the planes were built between 1977 and 1992 with the RAF choosing to purchase seven of them in the late 1980s and early 1990s.

Did you get any good photographs or video footage of the aircraft? If so, we want to see your best shots, please send them to [email protected].